


And They We're Roomates

by toziedus



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Conventions, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Set in Season 3, Sharing a Bed, Spoilers, modern as in 2018/19 k?, omg bi little troy barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25195648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toziedus/pseuds/toziedus
Summary: When Troy gets tickets to an out-of-town convention and asks Abed to accompany him, a misinterpretation happens, causing them to have to fake a relationship for four days.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 15
Kudos: 108





	1. Going up the country!

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [And They Were Roomates](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/646510) by toziedus. 



Quickly crossing the apartment, Troy ran to Abed's room and knocked loudly on the door.

"Dude we're leaving as soon as they arrive, did you pack your suitcase?!"

"Yes, it's on the couch." Abed said, soothing. Troy looked at the middle of the room and smiled in relief. "And what about the snacks?"

"Annie's picking it up and Britta's giving her a ride. It was nice of her letting us use the car to get to the convention."

"Just 'cause you'd let her sleep here while she looks for a new apartment." Abed said, leaving the room and heading towards the kitchen.

"No!" Troy's tone was more like an offended question. "I wanted to help a friend, that's all!"

Abed raised his eyebrows, questioning his friend's response, who rolled his eyes and grunted.

"Okay, I admit it! I used that against her. But that was a fair exchange of favors! Or did you prefer half of our money wasted on airplane tickets?"

Abed smiled and took the notebook next to the cabinet. They both started talking about the event and what attractions they were most looking forward to seeing. They listed actors Abed wanted to meet in person (Troy hadn't yet changed his mind about meeting idols in real life), panels of streaming services and other huge companies, competition areas for his favorite games, apart from photo booths and stores with products for all tastes (especially one they discovered days before, where a girl would sell personalized items from Inspector Space-Time).

While Nadir thought about how he could meet Bruce Willis without panicking, Barnes went to his own room, looking for his suitcase. The living room door unlocked, showing a very angry Britta on the phone as Annie tried to enter with four full bags in her arms.

"Listen, I'm not staying at your place! You're a controlling jerk, who doesn't give me any freedom! And stop sending things to me!!" She shouted, hanging up on the man on the other line.

"Crazy Ex?" Annie asked, putting the bags on the counter while Abed immediately looked for what Troy asked.

"Crazy dad." Britta corrected her, the other two looking at each other as if keeping a secret. "Are you guys leaving now? You'll need to fill in the tank, don't forget."

"As tempting as the idea of a trip that goes wrong in every possible way is, I don't want to be late for the convention." Abed warned, putting the purchases in a backpack. "But thanks, I won't forget."

Troy came into the room with his suitcase and two jackets under his arm. He greeted the two girls and when Abed finished packing, they all went outside with the luggage. Abed warned about not wanting Britta inside his room or the Dreamatorium and asking her not to interfere with Netflix's recommendations (with an extremely serious look).

"Don't give a 'dislike' to a movie just because it has Adam Sandler, nor a 'like' just because it has Paul Rudd."

"Oh, that was me." Troy stated, receiving a confused look. "He's a charismatic father."

With their suitcases in the back of the car, the boys said goodbye and started their journey.

* * *

"Do you think this hotel has more of a _The Shining_ or _Pretty Woman_ energy?"

Sitting in the middle of the reception, both were waiting for someone who could give them the bedroom key. It had been a four-hour trip and despite spending time together used to be easy, anxiety was taking away all the energy they had left.

"And why not _The Grand Budapest Hotel_ ?" Abed looked at him. "Britta made me watch..."

"We couldn't steal an important painting."

"Neither could we kill each other or live a romantic cliché, right? So what's your excuse?"

Abed laughed. It was strange to see him amused when someone questioned his logic, but not when it came to Troy. The two had changed a lot since they became friends, and this "character development" that Nadir insisted on talking about was becoming increasingly clear.

"Mr. Barnes?" a half old man, about sixty years old, called. "The room is ready. I just need you to sign here to check-in and you can go"

They walked over to the counter, Troy handed Abed his suitcase and did what he had to, without questions. He took the two keys, put them in his pocket, and took the luggage back.

"Okay, thanks, Mr..." He looked slowly at the small card on his chest. "...Walters."

The older man gave him a small smile and nodded. Nadir and Barnes went to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.

"Do you think he looked like a "weird old hotel guy"?" Abed suggested, watching the other frown.

"I'd rather not think that the person working where we'll be sleeping is a murderer."

"I didn't say murderer. I said "weird old hotel guy"." Abed pondered. "But it is a better trope. A serial killer, or maybe a--."

Troy cleared his throat, drawing Abed's attention. "Can we not talk about it? I wanna be able to sleep tonight."

"Right. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Barnes smiled. They did their usual handshake and left the elevator.

Walking to the door, Troy used the card and they got in. Both admired the place, the bathroom was a great mix of white and blue, there was a fridge on the other side of the room, on top of it a basket with some generic sweets and a brochure that looked like a menu, the television was very big and in front of the bed, wait... Bed? No plural? A shiver went up Troy's spine, and his face heated up.

"Uh, Abed..?"

"Hm?" he replied from the other side of the room, without taking his eyes off the warm and sunny exterior that the window showed.

"Are you seeing what I am seeing?" Troy asked, pointing at the bed when his friend made a confused expression, bending his head a little.

"Ah yes. The bed. Unexpected, but it must fit both. A classic theme, though I never thought it would happen to me. I think that makes it even cooler."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not sharing my bed with you. They probably gave us the wrong room."

"But why? It's the same as a bunk bed, but horizontal instead of vertical."

"It's weird, okay? I'm not in the mood for waking up with a hand on my butt or anywhere else!" Troy explained, leaving and heading for the reception.

* * *

"Mr. Barnes!" The older man greeted him. "Is everything okay in the room? Did you get in?"

“That's what I came to talk about. Our room has a king-size bed, but we wanted two singles. Could you solve this for us?”

“Oh, I know what happened.” He laughed, leaning on the counter as he approached Troy a little. He hoped Walters had understood the confusion. “Relationship problems, huh?”

Troy had a confused and timid expression on his face, making the older man laugh.

“You don’t have anything to be ashamed of, son. I know how it is. At first, everything is fine, and the next thing you know you’re fighting. Everything will be okay in a few minutes.” he tried to comfort Troy, looking for something on the computer. “But I can get you two a different room if that will make things easier between you.”

Barnes had given up on denying, he just agreed with what the employee said and waited for him to find the purchase details.

“Okay, changing rooms willingly will cost you $50 more.” The boy's eyebrows raised a little. “And since it’s because of the bed, the $350 discount on Valentine's Day is canceled.”

Leaning against the counter as if he was about to pass out, Troy cleared his throat. “I’m sorry but… wha--?! $350? Valentine's Day?”

His voice was breaking a little and there was certainly a side of concern in it.

“Ah, did you forget that? That’s the reason they were fighting, right?”

“Yeah… he keeps ignoring me because of that.” Troy rolled his eyes and gave a false and unconvincing laugh. “But I don't remember using any discount or code.”

“It’s a courtesy. When you checked that the room should fit two people, that were not related, a notice is sent, asking if you want to use the discount. It has a cute catch-phrase, what was it?” He put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

“Don't spend Valentine's Day away from me.” both said, an embarrassed laugh taking the almost empty room.

* * *

The door opened slowly, with Troy looking downcast as if he was leaving the field after a bad game.

“Did you talk to him?” Abed asked, however much his tone was affirmative.

Troy nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed and then lying down. “Yep.”

“And we can't change our room?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. What are you going to do?”

The question echoed inside the room. What _was_ he going to do? After all, it was _Troy_ who was concerned with getting two beds. It was _Troy_ who, despite having known him for years, did not want to sleep next to Abed. But why was that? Was there something wrong between them? Was there something wrong with Troy?

“Troy? Did you hear me?” Abed called. He was sitting very close to Barnes. “What are you going to do?”

Looking up and meeting Abed's face, Troy realized the bright and curious eyes of the taller one. But more specifically, he realized Abed was looking at him with genuine confusion.

“I think we'll have to share the bed.”

A small smile appeared on Nadir's lips, showing a little interest in the subjects he could explore. They laid next to each other, totally exhausted from the long journey. With anyone else, Abed would sit at the end of the bed with a forced posture. But when they were together, there was a lack of concern, a free space to be emotional (or not at all), do crazy things and tell inside jokes, and in the end, have somewhere to rest and feel welcomed. That was how Troy felt when he was around Abed.

He just hoped Abed felt that way too.


	2. And It's All In My Head

It was nearly four o'clock on a Friday morning when Troy found himself on the edge of the bed, huddled and looking at Abed uncertainly. Before going to sleep, they unpacked, ordered pizza, and watched some episodes of Inspector Spacetime that Troy hadn’t seen.

“I have a list of thirty things we could do in the hotel room setting.” Abed said, without taking his eyes off the TV.

"And apart from the ones we end up in prison, destroying the room or..." Troy hesitated. “Having sex... How many are left?

Abed counted a few fingers, his lips moving as if he were whispering the numbers. “One if you're very tired, two if you don't mind making noise and three if you have money left over.”

Barnes smiled relieved, and at the same time, surprised. It was a reasonable number. Gradually, he felt his eyelids weigh and sleep take over his body. As Troy woke up, two hours had passed, it was one in the morning. Abed was sleeping, the lights and television off, and his body was covered with a blanket. With a shy smile on his face, Troy studied Abed's details. His face against the pillow, his silky hair growing longer, the curve of his nose, his delicate eyes and lashes, diverging from his strong jaw, his long neck, broad shoulders and-. Troy's eyes widened and his brows closed, _where did all of this come from_? All these details and sudden analysis made him get away a little.

Troy didn't seem to know what "personal space" meant. And if he did, he forgot after becoming Abed's friend. The taller, on the other hand, did not bother so much. With most people, Abed had no desire to maintain continuous and/or physical contact (something that Britta and her three psychology classes described as "traumas coming back"), but he was happy to find a group that didn't care about that. He gradually realized that keeping in touch with some of those people made him happier than not doing so. Especially with Troy.

It was almost comical; even if subconsciously, they acted like a couple. They’d hold hands at any moment; buy "valentine's day" gifts for each other; when Troy had bad days, Abed comforted him by watching something on TV and just listening to what Troy was willing to tell; when Abed had bad days, Troy would make himself available, even though the taller one would rather spend some time at the _dreamatorium_ alone and continue the rest of the day.

Barnes wasn’t sure of exactly when, but he knew that someday, at some point, his “system” woke up and understood that he didn't act that way just because he "appreciated the friendship they had". And that was terrible.

Troy reflexively backed away, never taking his eyes off Abed.

Being in love was scary, but being in love with your male best friend Abed Nadir was like one of those times when the thought "at least it can't get any worse" was banned, because it **can**! 

As embarrassing as it was, Troy decided to have that conversation with Britta. Everyone seemed to have something that made him uncomfortable while talking about liking guys, and even Perry's classes were working. Maybe it was the bond-forming or the need for therapy that inhabits everyone (even more those in the study group), but it was a relief to be able to tell someone. He remembered it as if it were yesterday, Britta was sitting in the armchair of her old house and Troy lay down on the sofa, now and then playing with the cats that passed over him. He was able to review almost everything of his teenage years: the likely crush on Batman and Spider-Man, the homophobic attitudes he used to have, and, quite ironically, the first time he kissed a boy.

But none of that mattered anymore, because it wasn't just any guy at a comic book store or a stranger who suddenly meet him in the college hallway. It was **Abed**. And it looked like a mix of confusion and simplicity.

Troy decided to stop looking at the taller one before he woke up. He buried his face in the pillow and tried to sleep the remaining hours.

* * *

If Troy's expression didn't make his discomfort more obvious, maybe his arms crossed, his leg hitting the floor and his pouty lip could get the message across.

He and Abed were in the front row, next to the stage where Bruce Willis and the cast of his new film were doing a Q&A. Abed looked delighted, his eyes seemed to shine like never before and he had a smile that gradually escaped. And that was making Troy incredibly uncomfortable.

"What does he have that I don't? Two Emmy's and a Golden Globe? Almost six feet tall? Enough money to buy my dignity, sell it, and then buy it again?" He wanted to stop questioning himself before the situation got worse, but one last thought hooked his mind, and he decided to wait until that event was over before he could question his friend.

The whole situation of meeting a famous person in person, being accompanied by Abed, and having to watch him almost drool for the other, that was gritting his teeth. Troy asked him to watch over his place and told him he needed to go to the bathroom, but Nadir barely heard.

Troy turned on the tap and splashed some water on his face. He stared at the mirror and in his mind the phrase " _jealousy is an ugly emotion!_ " was on repeat. Troy didn't want to lose his friendship with Abed through an uncontrolled impulse or overprotection (the last thing Abed needed), but he also knew that that envy he felt for not having Abed looking at him in that same admired way filled him with pain and anger.

Maybe Abed looked, but Troy didn't notice it before. Maybe. But admiration is not just romantic, right? So jealousy can also be controlled and between friends! Great! With no pent-up emotions, no sudden identity crises, and no tension between friends, Abed's most hated topics were certainly off the list.

A knock on the door caught Troy's attention. It opened and Abed put his face into the room. Barnes smiled, believing that his friend was there because he was worried about the other's delay.

“The meet and greet will start shortly.” his smile disappeared. "Do you want me to tell you what you missed while we wait in the line?"

Troy nodded, following Abed.

* * *

“Go ahead, it's your turn!” the woman called, opening the line and letting both walk in.

Nadir spent the last hour talking about what Barnes hadn't seen, creating some complaints from other people in the line as well.

As soon as they arrived at the counter, the actor received them with a surprisingly warm smile. “Hey! How are you?”

“Fine thanks.” Replied Troy. He turned and saw Abed frozen.

“Uh... is he okay?”

“Yes, just a little nervous.” Troy squeezed Abed's shoulder, trying to call him back to reality. Abed closed his eyes a little more, relaxed his shoulders and exhaled, his chest falling heavy. Suddenly, everything went blurry and dark, and Abed fell, passing out. His last memory was of looking directly at Willis until his legs shook and the world collapsed.

Half an hour later, sitting in an overly comfortable armchair, he woke up. On one side, Troy was sitting in a white plastic chair, with his face in his hands and his elbows on his knees, his back was hunched. He looked nervous and afraid, concerned for his friend. On the other side, a little further away, Bruce was talking to one of the people responsible for meet and greet.

“Abed? Dude, you scared me to death! What happened?” Troy asked, his voice shaking a bit.

“I think I was nervous. I hate it when it happens on sitcoms, it seems like a cheap way out of comedy. I didn't think it would happen, especially with me.”

Troy sighed, relieved. It was something Abed would say if he was okay. “At least you're waking up, and that's a good thing.”

While Troy looked after any pain or discomfort Abed could feel, Bruce approached.

“Hello, are you okay? Can I get close now?”

“Yes! I'm sorry for what happened, it was unexpected, even for me.” Abed replied, a little shy.

“All right, boy. I've seen it happen a lot, actually. Lucky for us, your boyfriend was around, he knew how and what to do to help.”

“Yeah.” He nodded and faced to Troy, his voice as calm as ever. “Lucky me”.


	3. Troy finds his pride (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes the title is a sunny reference (but now it's literal)  
> yes i had this chapter written but i forgot to translate it  
> pls dont judge me (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

"Are you really sure you don't feel anything anymore?" After putting on his costume, Troy questioned his friend.

When Abed passed out the day before, Troy decided to warn the group, and they responded as expected: Jeff tried to hide his concern with the usual "cool" image he always had, Shirley and Annie were worried to the point of seeing Abed as a child, Pierce didn't seem to understand any seriousness in that situation and Britta talked about twenty different recipes of natural remedies that would help the other get better. All of these expected attitudes created opinions within Abed. He liked to know that even when the group was not complete they remained faithful to the classic. In addition, they've had some real surprises since arriving at the hotel.

That day would have been almost completely ruined, had it not been for a churro cart that passed by the hotel. Still they had no desire to do anything else. That is, Troy had no desire.

When Abed woke up, he didn't want to leave the convention. He said he was fine, that he could spend all day there and that there was no problem. But the shock that scene caused in Troy prevented him from keeping Nadir in that place. For him, acting as the "responsible friend in serious situations" was something new and unexpected, which he was not used to and certainly took his energy away for the rest of the day.

"I'm fine, I told you. These things don't happen twice, at least not in such a short period of time. The audience would notice and complain about the idea being reused." Troy sighed, looked in the mirror and analyzed his Constable Reggie costume, matching Abed's, which was from the Inspector. He still couldn't believe that after what happened they were still going back to the convention, but he knew how badly Abed wanted it.

Trot nodded, and they left the room. On the way to the parking lot, Troy tries to remember everything they should take: the tickets, Gatorades, snacks and the fruits that Annie managed to hide between the cheese puffs and the gummy worms.

* * *

Passing through the door and finally feeling the chill breeze inside the building (which did not disguise the smell of someone else's sweat, unfortunately), both of them could feel more comfortable and ready to analyze the stands like children running and playing inside a Toys R Us.

They took a good long at the map: the closest ones were the shops with fan-made merchandises. Among them was Melissa, an artist who was selling original items from Inspector Space-time.

"Melissa?" Abed asked, approaching her and extending his hand. "I'm Abed, a big fan. I commissioned something, remember?"

"Of course! The mug guy!" She smiled, greeting them and looking for something under the table.

"Mug?" Troy asked, getting a look from Abed, the type of look that asks you to wait and pay attention because the best scene is about to happen. And it did. Troy looked at the white box that the girl put on the table.and he was confused again.

"It's for you."

The words came out softly from Abed, however unusual. Abed wasn't the type of friend that gave gifts for no reason, and Troy wasn't used to receiving them. Barnes just opened the box and lifted the object inside. A mug like the ones they made to use during "Troy and Abed in the Morning", the same Pierce broke a few weeks ago and refused to buy another one because 'he wasn't called to record an episode with them' (even though he knew it would not be airing anywhere). Troy spent the rest of that sad day, and as he said, ' _Drinking from another mug just wasn't the same_.'

But there was an extra, it had a drawing. Melissa had carefully designed Abed's request. The details on their faces, the hair, everything had been done with love, and Troy knew that despite the beauty and affection that were involved, being emotional there would be too much, even for him.

"You didn't need to buy a new one, dude."

"Ah, he didn't pay. It was for free!" Melissa corrected, adjusting her glasses.

"I told her what happened with the old mug and she decided to do the drawing for free, I just had to pay the printing." Abed touched Troy's hand. "But I know that look in your face, and it's priceless."

A shy smile appeared between Barnes's lips. He put the mug back in the box and put it all in a bag, following Abed's path. Approaching the streaming service booths, Troy felt Abed's hand hold his, in a contrast of delicacy and confidence.

Maybe it was the fact that Troy was the one who used to start any kind of physical contact, or all the complexity of realizing his feelings for his best friend while pretending to be in a relationship with said best friend. Whatever it was, it gradually stopped Troy's senses, and he just wanted to focus on that feeling of having Abed around.

Barnes held Abed's hand back, a little tighter.

* * *

"Are you telling me that I need to beat two thousand points to win Jules and Vincent? What is this, a cheap amusement park or a classics area?" Troy complained.

From a distance, he had found a gaming area with prizes and plushies from video games and movies. Among the best, there were action figures from Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction - one of, if not Abed's favorite movie - and Troy wanted to win something for him. It just felt right.

"Take it or leave it, boy. There are people waiting."

With the attendant's phrase, Troy pulled out two five-dollar bills and picked up the tokens, walking over to the machine.

Two minutes passed, then five, then ten, and the montage with "Cherry Bomb" playing in the background that Abed had planned went down the drain.

Troy sucked at that game. Apparently, his knowledge of classics was only based on games outside of arcades, since he couldn't score at least 200 points on that Robots of Dust, a likely poorly made copy of Pac-Man, but who cares?

"That's boring. Let's go somewhere else. There's a shop selling Gravity Falls key chains, and next to it is the food court. I heard that they are selling snacks based on movies." Abed said, watching the other focus more on the screen.

"Wait, I think I'm catching up. I really want those figures."

"You don't even like Pulp Fiction. In fact, as I recall, you didn't watch any Tarantino movies alone, did you?"

"Yeah, I mean…" he started, the blue light of the Game Over screen glowing against his face. "I just wanted to win them for you, that's all."

They looked at each other, Troy shy away and went back to playing. "You're a good boyfriend, and a natural. I think it was already expected. But I have to go to the bathroom, so I'll see you soon."

Troy nodded, and startled when he felt Abed kiss his cheek before heading out towards the brighter exterior.

He needed to focus on the game. And stay calm. Yeah, that's it, focus on the game and stay calm. And not think about Abed. Not even about the kiss. Not even the figures that depended on Troy's bad skills in that game. Or the way his face heated up when Abed looked at him fondly. No. He couldn't think of any of that. Only in pixelated robots, colored balls and punctuation that just never seemed to increase. Was that game broken? Did the score break? Were the controls at least working as they should? Or did the whole world decide to turn upside down when they left Greendale County?

"Hi? Excuse me, do you know how this thing works?"

Troy looked up quickly, not wanting to distract from the game, and captured the image of a girl. She had curly, dark hair, light skin and a dark overcoat. Troy regretted recognizing that overcoat.

"Ninth doctor?" he pointed to her clothes, trying to stay focused on the game before losing again and deciding to help.

"Yep. Constable Reggie?" she asked, now she was pointing back at him.

"I'm accompanying a friend. He's dressed as the Inspector."

The girl nodded as she listened to his instructions on how each button or movement helped. It was an uncomfortable situation, though none wanted to admit it. Troy took a moment and looked at the girl again before returning to the game, and wow-- she was beautiful. And she was good at video games, even though she didn't know how to play at first.

"You know, there's going to be an area where IST and DW fans will talk about the shows, do you wanna come watch it with me?"

"I would love to!" he replied, and then corrected himself. "But I already have plans for the rest of the day, and in all of them I am accompanied by my friend. Sorry."

"Oh, no, it's okay." she gave him a shy smile and returned to the game.

A mixed feeling settled in Troy's chest. He was used to rejecting a girl here or there, but doing it for Abed was new. Abed. For a moment he had forgotten. Forgotten that they were there, together. That they were pretending to be dating, with matching costumes and holding hands. That two days ago he started to notice his interest in Abed, and that it was wrinkling his brain like never before. And for the first time, being close to Abed felt like being close to the sun. In a bad way. A bad, bad, Icarus kind of way.

The yellowed scoreboard flashed, and a trumpet-like sound came out of the speaker. On the screen it said "You have reached 2000 points!!! To continue, put a token in". Troy took his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of the scoreboard, so he could prove his record.

"It was nice meeting you." he smiled, extending his hand to the girl next to him. She looked at him, returned the smile and shook his hand.

"Same. Who knows, we might run into each other?"

' _She's a nice girl_.' Troy thought, and then turned to the entrance. Abed was leaning against a pillar, looking at them from the other side. ' _Oh_.'


	4. Troy finds his pride (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii... i know you all must be angry for me taking so long to update this fic, so here's the new chapter ! 
> 
> 1st.: content warning / cw for food
> 
> 2nd.: i'll actually explain myself and leave some stuff on the final notes ;)

Looking into Abed's eyes was never difficult for Troy. It was like admiring a bright, charming, and tempting star; one of those that make you want to become an astronaut just so you can take a closer look. But not this time. This time, staring at him was like wasting energy. It was tiring. And though Troy hadn't done anything wrong, his heart was beating a little faster than it should.

– Troy? I was asking if everything is okay. Are you listening to me? – Abed asked, lightly touching the other boy's shoulder.

Troy looked up a little, pressing the phone to his chest. – Uh? Ah! Yeah, yeah, my bad. I got distracted, that's all. But hey, I got the score! Should we get the figures?

Abed gave him a thumbs up, agreeing. They walked together, leaving the inside of the arcade. The owner of the place did not seem exactly happy to see the photo on Troy's phone, as he angrily looked for the copies under the table.

– Wanna talk about it? – Abed asked, looking back at Troy.

– About what? – he said, like a kid who pretends not to have disobeyed his parents.

– The person you were talking to. Who were they? 

His passive-aggressive tone weighed a little on Troy's shoulders.

– I don't know her. We talked a little about Space Inspector, I helped her start her game and that's it.

Abed looked at him for a while and nodded. – Makes sense. Don't worry, I trust you.

He took the plastic bags off the table and admired the boxes a little. But something was bothering Troy. There was something missing in that bright, loving gaze that Abed had with the action figures. Anyone could disagree, but years of living together made Troy realize details that others didn't (or didn't want to).

In his usual calm voice, Abed suggested that they go to the food court, as he was hungry and was just waiting for Troy to finish the game so they could eat. Both followed the same direction, side by side again. When their hands touched, the feeling of sudden warmth and comfort was no longer there. Troy felt Abed's hand cold, and he was pretty sure he would pull it back so they wouldn't be together for long. 

– Ok, so I'll get a sandwich and a water bottle. What do you want?

While Troy rested one leg on the metal bench, Abed sat on the other side.

– Just a Coke. 

Troy stopped for a while, staring at him with his hands on his hips. – …Abed.

– Troy.

– …Abed. – he repeated.

– Troy. – Abed copied. He clearly knew what it was about.

– Abed, we talked about it yesterday. You can't eat a lot of industrial things right now because of yesterday. Annie said something about your orgas-

– Organism.

– Right. – he corrected himself. – Your organism.

– Yes, but the money for the soda is mine. And I can spend my money however I want. – he remained silent for a few seconds. – Plus, Gatorade tastes like garbage.

– No, it doesn't! And it's good for your health.

– You say that because you were raised as a jock, they must've been giving you Gatorade in a bottle.

They both fell quiet. Defeated, Troy took the money Abed set aside and walked to the end of the line, arms crossed. Troy looked at the table and there Abed was on the phone, one hand on the boxes so they wouldn't be stolen. He held up his phone, and Troy realized he was recording a video (for the group, probably). He smiled and gave another thumbs-up, to which Troy responded by blowing a raspberry. Abed put the phone down, looked at him again and blew a kiss. Troy looked away, shy, and tightened his arms.

He wondered if Abed had been jealous and if that was why he was different from before. Or if it was just something his brain created to make him more nervous and insecure. 

Honestly, it was difficult to differentiate. After all, at that moment, they were playing characters. They were a fake couple with a fake date who might be having fake problems. But Monday, everything would be normal. No dating, no insecurity, no weird feelings, no guilt. In his mind, Troy repeated 'No dating...'. Why was it so easy to get lost in character with Abed around? Why, after years together, did he need to discover all this emotional baggage now?

* * *

– For you, what's it gonna be? – the attendant's accent was familiar, but Troy couldn't remember where it was from. Somewhere near Texas? Probably not, too far.

– A water bottle, a sandwich and a Coke can, please. 

Still a little nervous after the constant questioning he had, Troy handed over the money and waited for the girl to talk to the customer behind him.

– An orange juice and a grilled cheese, Liz. Thanks. – the boy smiled and looked away.

There, at that moment, Troy felt his face heat up as it had earlier. The man next to him had short hair and beard, a small earring and freckles on his face and arms that were spread on his skin, which had a tone close to Abed's, just a little lighter. He was wearing a black T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up under a partially dirty white apron. He was cute-- not cute, he had to admit, he was a hot.

– 'King of Cones'? – Troy read what was written with red embroidery on the apron.

– That's right! Cone pizza, ever tried it? – the other replied, with a cheerful smile.

– I don't think so. Sorry, I just stared at you out of nowhere, kinda awkward. - He ran his hands over his face, a little nervous.

– It's okay, don't worry. If it's from someone as cute as you, I don't mind it. - He smiled and winked.

– Stop it Vic, you'll scare customers with your crap. – the woman complained, returning to the window where they were. – Here's your order, kid. Don't pay attention to him or he'll spend an hour talking about food.

– Cooking is an important art, Liz! 

– Does it look like I care, dipshit?

He came out laughing a little, with the can and sandwich in a bag, and in his other hand the juice box. Troy sat down at the table and handed the bag to Abed, who was looking at him uneasily, his eyebrows drawn up.

– What's it?

– That guy was hitting on you, wasn't he?

Troy's eyes jumped out a little, and he took a deep breath. – Yeah, I guess. But don't worry, I didn't respond. I know how excited you are about these 'couple holidays'.

– That's what I wanted to talk about. – Abed breathed in. 

That tone. This was the one Abed used with actors in his shorts. He was professional, serious, and undoubtedly the one Troy less liked. It warned you that something was wrong and the solutions might not be positive.

– I know I said I wanted to make this a fake dating experience because they had several prompts and clichés to recreate, but after thinking a little I could see that in reality, I was just holding us to activities we didn't want to do and depriving ourselves of certain opportunities. Besides that, another reason to pretend to be dating was the benefits at the Hotel, and as they can't keep an eye on us here, we can 'break up' for a while.

Silence. Not a word came out of Troy. He still wasn't sure which phrase to formulate, whether to apologize for something, whether to agree. He felt ready to enter a meaningless cycle, where freedom and fear tried to coexist within him.

– Are you sure? I mean, I won't stop you if that's what you want. But I just want to know, is that what you really want? – Troy asked, and Abed nodded slowly. – Oh, right.

They sat down and started eating. Troy was no longer that hungry, he only ate half of his lunch.

* * *

– We'll meet here in an hour, ok? In the meantime, we go for a walk and take some pictures, I don't know. I'll look for that one girl, call me if you need anything.

Abed nodded when he heard Troy's suggestion, and they did their handshake. It seemed like a last-minute attitude, careless, uncomfortable, contrary to his own purpose.

* * *

It had been a few minutes since Troy left the food court with the intention of searching for the girl he found earlier. Forty minutes to be exact. And of those forty minutes, the most recent ten minutes were spent sitting on a concrete bench drinking the rest of the water while his head went crazy.

There were so many questions that Troy barely knew where to start. He didn't understand whether Abed was being passive-aggressive. Was he jealous? Did he care to the point of being jealous? Did he even care? I mean, they came in as a couple wearing a matching costume, and now they were wondering about the reciprocity of those feelings. Feelings that were supposed to be fake. It was all very confusing, Troy's brain was wrinkling!

Oh, if Troy could go back in time and convince Abed that this was not going to work. That the convention was a bad idea and they would be wasting their money. Or at least he would try to let his past self know about the crush a few weeks earlier, so that he wouldn't be so oblivious, and therefore so nervous.

A familiar 'buzz' caught his attention. He looked at the cell phone screen and noticed a message from Abed. 'I'm near the Kaboom T-shirt store, next to the food court. When you're done, meet me here and we can leave. '

A few minutes later, Troy was already starting to look for the store. He didn't want to spend a lot of time thinking about all these problems. When he thought, he reasoned, and connected everything, and then felt sad. So he just tried to get the basics, enough to understand. He knew that if he took a few minutes to think about something difficult or emotionally complicated, he would start crying, and it would be long before he could return to the convention as if nothing had happened.

When he found Abed, he was smiling and talking to a stranger. She was dressed as one of the Inspector's love interests, Elilah. She wore a black dress and a red overcoat (after all, why do sci-fi costume designers like overcoats so much?), and they both posed while another man, who would easily be mistaken for some teenager's older brother, took off photos. He seemed to be the type who is too old to like the last two Spider-Men, but young enough to remember Tobey Maguire.

Troy slowly approached, because he knew that Elilah and Reggie had a difficult relationship, almost a love triangle with the Inspector, and Abed would certainly bring it up given the opportunity. He gave a thumbs up when his and Abed's eyes met, and just smiled. He looked at the man beside him, he had an angry expression, besides being tall, strong, and not looking exactly happy there. It was strange to imagine that he accompanied the girl with whom Abed talked and took pictures since she laughed so much and seemed extremely charismatic.

For a second, Abed looked at Troy and whispered something in the girl's ear, who tried to hide a shy laugh. At that moment, Troy felt butterflies in his stomach, and they were not welcome. Perhaps that would have been the last straw, since the man beside him went towards them, warning them to stay away.

He had a harsh, scary voice that made Troy run towards Abed, for some reason.

– You! Stay away from her! 

– Jeez, Louis, they were just some pictures. What's wrong with that?! – the girl grunted, moving him away from the other two boys. – I'm sorry, I don't know why he's acting like this.

– Don't worry, my dear. He must be aware of who really has your heart, that's all. – Abed smiled, taking off his hat and bowing.

Perhaps it was impossible, but the taller man seemed to be more enraged. In a fast and equally poorly planned move, Troy pulled Abed by the hand. Troy shouted Reggie's farewell, which used to be repeated at the end of each season, as they went looking for a hiding place. Finally, they found the place that was used for playing Laser Tag. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was taking care of the line, they entered the dark maze.

– Wow! – Abed laughed, hiding behind the wall. – That was fun.

– Fun? That Zangief-dude could break us in half with just one smack! – Troy said, breathing hard and with his hands on his knees. – You need to be more careful with what you do, Abed.

– What do you mean?

– It's just that... sometimes you need to break the character and be aware of the consequences.

– But nothing bad happened.

– Because I found you and we ran. But at some point, you might upset someone and there'll be no Troy, Jeff, Britta, or anyone to help you. And you will need to deal with the consequences yourself.

Abed frowned a little, it was the expression he made when he was thinking or considering something. Troy straightened up and leaned against the wall.

– Not everyone sees you as I see you, and not everyone will react as I do. And believe me, I know I don't understand you 1000%, but I'm trying. I like you and I care. And it is because I care that I hope you will be more careful with what you do or say.

Silence. The damn silence again. Abed just nodded, and they decided to stay there for the next few minutes. Until the tension drops. Or until the discomfort of each other's company is too much to take. Whatever came first.

On the way back, Troy tried to pretend that everything was fine. That they hadn't argued and that he hadn't been in constant mental confusion for days. That he was an actor pretending to be an actor. Two thoughts came to mind: first, it was better to let it go. He didn't understand Inception, so for sure that was going to be even more difficult. Second, Abed was much better at this than he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yello!!
> 
> ok so, usually i talk a lot about this on my twitter (@mlmtroy) but yeah, a lot of stressful/tiring things happened this year to me (family fights, i came out to my mom, my dog died, school gave me almost 500 forms since march, my parents had two big arguments, plus a lot more), and it all got me so stressed i couldn't focus on writing the chapter. i had it prepared for months now, and only last week i could get it together and actually write it.
> 
> for the next chapters: yes, i will post them, but i only plan on doing so after november is over, because that's when i have my finals. if everything goes right, i'll have a new chapter posted in december or 2021 january !
> 
> but yeah, thank you all so much for staying with me and being patient! i love each and every one of you <33 remember to stay safe and well-rested ;)


	5. Take my Wallet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyy!! sorry for taking so long to update, i had to translate the chapter and adapt it but i procrastinated instead -__-"  
> but thank u for reading !! as always feel free to comment :)
> 
> (the chapter title's based on the song Just Take my Wallet, by Jack Stauber btw)
> 
> happy holidays everyone !!

It was almost Sunday noon when Abed and Troy decided to go back to the hotel. The day started like the others, in fact it was even a little calmer. They decided before leaving that the last day would be just to buy souvenirs, posters, DVDs and other not-so-exclusive objects. They would spend the day with no stress, since it was the last one. Well, that was the plan.

At 9 am, they arrived at the building, walking slowly. Meanwhile, Troy wasn't feeling his best because of the fight on the day before.

They hadn't talked much after, and the tension was palpable, you could cut it with a knife. He didn't bring it up because he believed it would only make the situation worse, so he wasn't surprised when Abed slept with his back to him. Nor when he unconsciously walked away from Troy. Or when Abed kept his hands in his pockets instead of offering to hold the Troy's. And deep down, Troy believed he deserved it. He had been a bad friend.

To some extent, the situation seemed under control. They had bought some gifts for the group: for Annie, a small frog plushie; Jeff would get a necklace, with a GI Joe themed pendant; for Britta, pirate hats for her cats; Shirley would get a bracelet with a cross, although it was actually a reference to Neon Genesis Evangelion; and Pierce... honestly, they had no idea what Pierce liked, so they took their change and left it aside for him to buy "whatever rich old people buy".

It was then that they decided to take a break from shopping and eating. Among the snacks, fries and sodas they ordered, one item caught Troy's attention. They had a new type of sauce in the distribution, it was difficult to say the name, but it was good. At least until Troy's stomach hurt like never before. In fact, pain was not the right word, but 'a great discomfort that would make you dizzy for the next 30 minutes'. Abed suggested that he go to the bathroom, but Troy refused.

"Have you seen how public bathrooms are in these types of conventions? They are disgusting, especially on the last day."

Abed looked at the bags he was holding. "I think we already bought everything we wanted. Do you want me to help you, or can you walk by yourself?"

That sentence, that spark of concern, made Troy a little happier than he wanted to admit. Perhaps that meant that it was all in his brain, and that Abed was not mad at him. He denied, shaking his head, and although he had to walk a little slower because of the discomfort, making eye contact with Abed without feeling guilty was great.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Troy came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, finding Abed packing the latest purchases in his bags. As soon as he noticed the other's arrival, Abed looked inside a small bag, and handed over some medicine and a bottle of water.

"My mom would give me these when I ate too much buttered noodles. If you're not feeling better, I'd recommend taking one." Abed suggested, and then sat on the bed.

"Thanks. For real." Troy left the medicine and the bottle on the table near the bed. "And I'm sorry for being annoying. I know you wanted to stay there."

"Don't worry, it's okay. And you know, I like spending time with you.

Abed smiled. Troy smiled back. And the whole situation seemed more familiar and relaxing when Abed asked,

"Do you want to see a movie?"

All that terror that the past few days were, all that fear of rejection and guilt that fell on Troy, started hiding. It was as if they were back in the first days of their friendship, just Troy, Abed, and a movie that would certainly be criticized by him.

Troy agreed, and went through the channels with Abed. It took them some time to find one that actually had movies, but then there they were, lying in bed, waiting for Beetlejuice to start.

Abed wasn't exactly Beetlejuice's number one fan, and Troy knew it. Maybe it was due to some flaws in the narrative, or just because it was directed by Tim Burton. Either way, knowing that Abed was willing to spend an hour and a half by his side watching a movie he didn't like that much was nice, it made Troy feel important. Sometimes their elbows met, causing electric shocks and consequently laughter.

Troy didn't remember how or when, but he fell asleep. He felt comfortable there. Safe, loved. God, how he missed feeling that way.

* * *

Gradually, Troy woke up. Unconsciously, he was groping the other side of the bed for Abed. As much as he was a little groggy, he called for the other, without an answer. He looked around the room but saw no one. Thinking he was in the bathroom, Troy got up and went to the door, leaning against the walls.

"Abed? 'You in there, buddy?" he knocked on the door. Nothing. He knocked again, and then tried to open it, finding the bathroom empty.

Abed's sudden disappearance, no matter how harmless it seemed, scared him. Troy washed his face and went towards his phone. There were three texts from Abed, and they were all about half an hour ago.

_**Abed:** I'm at the hotel's arcade. I'm sending you this message before I leave the room. I know you might think it's weird or unnecessary._

_**Abed:** I didn't want to leave the room without giving you some sort of warning, but I also didn't want to wake you up._

Troy smiled, and his cheeks heated up.

_**Abed:** Anyway, I know that when you wake up and don't find me, you're going to text me asking where I am. If you are no longer tired or in pain, come down here. Second door on the right outside the hotel._

Happy with the invitation, Troy kept a wide smile. He thought about changing clothes, but in the end just put on a sweatshirt, leaving the room and following the path to the arcade. On his way, he walked through the lobby, but didn't see Walters. Maybe he wasn't working that day.

Getting inside the room and finding Abed, he let a small smile escape, before reaching out and getting some coins.

* * *

"I warned the group about what happened to you while I was in the shower, I hope you don't mind."

Troy turned his face away, looking at Abed. "No, it's cool. What did you tell them?"

"That you ate something that wasn't good for you, and we went back to the hotel earlier. I also said that despite having medicine in my backpack, I needed some tips in case you got worse. I was really worried."

Troy felt like a complete fool. Was it possible to fall even more for Abed? He had been a great friend since they met, and was doing his best to help him, even after they had a fight. All his emotions were mixed and it was a complete mess in his chest.

He wanted to be a good friend for Abed too. Even better than he already was. But as soon as he saw Abed, his head would short circuit and his heart would take over his entire body. Sometimes Troy wishes his heart had a brain too. Maybe then he would hesitate before suddenly reaching for Abed's hand, or having his friend's interests on the tip of his tongue as if they were extremely necessary.

Troy knew that if he asked Britta for help as he did before, she would tell him to _"be honest and tell him what you feel, man"_ , but it wasn't that easy. You see, Troy knew he liked Abed, that was a fact that he would no longer question, and would not even try to deny. The problem, as in many other classic stories, was reciprocity. Yes, in almost all endings the feeling is reciprocal, allowing the couple to be together, and yes, Abed and Troy acted like a couple in their daily lives, so it was possible to have an eventual romance between them. But, and here's the point that haunted Troy's thoughts, those were straight couples.

It was already difficult to question his own sexuality constantly, yet discovering Abed's, in addition to finding out if he had a chance with him, were completely different stories. Abed could, straight or not, say that he saw Troy as just a friend, and perhaps sharing a bed with him after that wasn't so fun.

The truth is that Troy, as much as he'd rather not admit it, had zero knowledge on non-platonic relationships. Especially healthy ones. His past romances never lasted long, and they always left a bitter taste in his mouth. But after all, Troy had never been himself with these people. He just copied his image as a shallow jock, who was always accompanied by a trace of toxic masculinity. He always acted like the same quarterback dating the same cheerleaders, with the same tactics: pretending he didn't care, causing jealousy. It was infallible. It worked for everyone.

But Abed was not everyone.

"You know, I got that girl's number yesterday. She lives near Greendale, I'm thinking of asking her out." He said, looking away slightly to the other, who was focusing on the game.

"Nice." his tone remained the same, not sarcastic at all. In fact, it seemed quite honest.

With his furrowed brow, Troy continued. "Yeah, she's pretty, funny, and super into TV, especially Doctor Who. I really liked her."

"I'm happy for you."

Troy scoffed, as if he were offended. Offended by Abed not being jealous.

"Yeah, but if I start going out with her more, I think we'll see each other less, right?"

Abed looked up a little thoughtfully and soon returned to the game. "Yes, most likely."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"A little, but I would be a terrible best friend if I put our friendship above your happiness."

Silence, nothing but a few beeps from the light-filled machine Abed was playing on. Troy had no idea what to say. That didn't work out as planned, and his chest was threatening to hurt. Abed didn't seem to worry if he had chances with Troy or not, and Troy's pain wanted to come out as anger. Something inside him was burning, but it wasn't good. It burned like a fever. His eyes started to shine a bit thanks to a few tears that wanted to be part of the scene, and reflected on the video game screen, announcing Game Over.

"Are you serious? I tell you we might stop hanging out just because of a new date and you're okay with it? Just like that?"

Still a little surprised, Abed replied. "Our bond is strong. We've had dates with other people in the past, and we're still here. And even if it did end, people move away, they grow up. We can't change that, Troy."

"You say that, but you're not even trying! Come on, do you even care?!"

He was going to cry. Right then and there, his vision was blurred. Before Abed could answer, Troy turned around and went back to the bedroom. The path seemed longer, a maze of white doors and wooden floors that made insistent creaks.

Wen Abed entered the room, after waiting ten minutes in the hall for Troy to arrive and be alone for a while, he found him in the bed, curled up. Still awake. In his arms, Abed carried two small teddy bears, one purple and the other cyan, with hands sewed together. He had won the purple for Troy, with the hope that the gift would calm the other down and he'd be able to apologize, even though he had done nothing wrong. But he had asked as soon as Troy snorted out into the hall, and Annie recommended doing so, so he took the advice.

The cyan bear came by accident, Abed did not know that they were sewed on paws until it was too late and both fell out of the machine together. But it was kind of cute. In their hands there were paper hearts that said: 'We are pack animals, we are always together!'.

"Troy?" He called, putting the teddy bears on the floor, near the baggage. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"… Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it? Was it something I did or said?"

"I'm just mad, okay? It has nothing to do with you. So leave me alone, please."

Abed was quiet, got up towards the bathroom and, before closing the door, commented. "If it has nothing to do with me, there's no need to be so rude."

Later, when Abed was already in bed and trying to sleep, he heard Troy's heavy breathing. The one he used to listen to when Chang was showing movies in class and Troy decided it was the perfect time for a nap. It was strange because after stressful or uncomfortable events Troy stayed up late. The day Abed was sick, Troy was totally alert, and only slept after making sure that Abed was better.

In the end, maybe this indifference wasn't unexpected. I mean, Troy didn't even bother to say 'goodnight' back.


	6. Seemed like the perfect moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took me so long to translate this fic, but I hope u guys like the ending :))
> 
> tysm for reading and supporting me n the fic!! it seriously means the world to me <3

It was Sunday, 10 am. The air felt colder for that time of year, and in Troy’s mind, who was already in the back seat of the car lying down, the clouds covering the sky completely weren’t a sign of rain. Instead, they were only there for decoration, trying to make the day even more morbid and unhappy. The loud noise of the trunk closing took him by surprise, and then steady strides as Troy watched his friend sit in the driver's seat, start the car, fasten his seat belt, and turn the radio on.

One of Abed's habits when driving alone was to find a station with songs good enough to appear on an important soundtrack, but not too iconic or dark to be in a horror movie with road accidents. No, he wasn't alone this time, but he felt that way.

“Want to look for a specific station? You can connect via Bluetooth if you want.” He suggested while the station played some music from The Beatles. Abed thought they were overrated, but he liked how Annie and Shirley had fun singing Misery.

“No, thanks. I’ll end up sleeping anyway.” The other boy grunted, curling up on the seat and closing his eyes.

Abed looked at him, sighed, turned his attention back to the road, and remained focused for the next kilometers. Maybe it’d be better to stay quiet, leaving Troy in his comfort zone for the time being, until he decided to talk on his own. He just didn't know if it would take too long.

After the fight on the night before, Abed didn't know how fragile his friendship with Troy was. A bit of guilt was there, deep in his heart, making him insecure and uneasy, although Nadir could easily disagree and say that the guilt was actually in the corner of his head, inside a tiny shoebox, which takes up space without appearing less. Either way, he was worried. He tried to talk to Troy throughout the trip but it didn’t work out.

After driving for an hour and a half, Abed saw signs that indicated the presence of a gas station a few miles away. A smile appeared on his face as he tried to get Troy's attention.

"They have a gas station near here, and they have food. We should stop and have lunch, shouldn't we? At least eat something light."

"Sure, whatever."

Abed inhaled and exhaled, very slowly. At least they were talking. It was progress.

When he saw a bigger sign, red and yellow, saying "Gas Station Renner, less than 600 miles" with drawings of hamburgers and fries on the side, and the station itself on the farthest horizon, Abed began to perk up. Cafeteria environments have always relaxed him for some reason, bringing a sense of calm and comfort. Perhaps because his mother used to take him to these places when they wanted to celebrate something.

He parked the car near one of the gas pumps and got out, accompanied by the other.

"I'll fill the tank and meet you inside. Can you get us a table?"

Troy nodded, walking towards the building behind them. He was walking fast as if he wanted to escape Abed for a few minutes. Unfortunately for him, the bad feeling inside the car was still there, with or without Abed nearby.

The interior of the place was beautiful. It served to distract from potholes in the road and distant lakes protected with yellow police tape, but at least it did its job. There were four tables in the center, each with four chairs, two vending machines, and various posters. The walls were painted white and the floor was only concrete, although it didn't look like it. Troy sat at one of the tables and looked at the menu.

When Abed finally arrived, he had already ordered. The taller man went to the cashier to pay for gas and then sat down next to Troy.

"Did you order?"

Troy nodded. Neither knew how to start a conversation.

It didn't take long before a waitress brought their food: a plate of bacon and eggs and a strawberry jelly for Troy, and two toasts and chocolate milk for Abed. As he ate, Troy noticed a smile on the other's face. He assumed it was because he remembered what his friend liked to eat, and his face warmed up a little. It was easy to remember these things for him.

"Can you give me the car keys? I'd rather wait inside." Troy asked, putting some money on the table, paying his share.

Abed handed him the keys and went back to eating. After that he paid, got out, and found Troy again in the car, in the back seat, arms crossed and annoyed. Abed decided it was time for an intervention. He almost heard Annie's voice repeating the same word over and over in his mind.

* * *

After a few minutes of driving, Abed decided it was time to talk about the elephant in the room, whatever it was.

"Why are you so annoyed? Did something happen these days that made you unhappy?"

Troy sighed. "It's nothing, I don't want to talk about it."

"Look, if you don't tell me what happened, you'll have to walk your way home." Abed looked in the mirror. Troy was staring at him as if he had heard something crazy.

"Oh, really?" Troy said, ironic.

"Really."

They looked at each other again. Troy looked at the brake and a third time at Abed, almost telling him to stop the car. As soon as the wheels stopped moving, Troy opened the door and walked out. Slowly, Abed accompanied him with the car.

Both were silent, with nothing but the low vocals from the radio playing. Troy's shoulders were shaking from the cold wind, but he wouldn't accept any blankets or jackets while Abed insisted on this.

"Troy, come on, let's just talk. Tell me if it has something to do with me if I did something wrong."

"I said no!"

The car stopped again, and this time Abed got out of it. Troy hesitated but soon kept walking. Abed went after him and held him by the forearms, as he saw on TV when it was necessary to have someone's attention.

"I know you have your privacy, and I want to respect that, but if there is a problem that affects our friendship as it is affecting now, I need to know about it. To find out if it was something I did, or a misunderstanding, something like that."

Troy sighed and took Abed's hands away. "I wish I could help, but I don't know what to say!"

They were silent, and Troy shook his head.

"Actually I know, but I can't tell you because if I do, it could change everything forever!"

"Tell me! We are best friends, even with fights. Remember Joey and Chandler? Aziraphale and Crowley? Alex and Vause--"

"Okay, even I know those two were a couple." Troy laughed.

"Oh, really?" He looked away. "I only saw one episode, but Britta keeps talking about them."

They looked at each other, and then Troy stared at the ground. Silence again. His legs were shaking, not from the cold, but from being restless. He held his own hands, rubbing his fingers as a way to calm himself. It didn't work very well, but at least it helped to express nervousness. He raised his face, using any remaining courage to look Abed in the eye.

It was supposed to be easier. Looking at him, telling the truth, sitting next to him, talking to him, living with him. And, if he was to confess, he'd be prepared. Troy would have written a text with Die Hard puns, they would be in a nice, beautiful, and romantic place, and he would wear the purple sweatshirt that Abed is always complimenting. Not at the corner of a road, with wobbly legs, hands sweating, and stuttering like a Stephen King character.

"I like you. And it's not just in the way we like Annie, or Inspector Spacetime, or Batman. I think."

He was silent for a few seconds but then spoke again before Abed had a chance to answer.

"Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that I love you. I always thought it was just a friendship because I didn't have friends like ours in the past to compare, but when we got here and started pretending to be a couple... that's when I realized that this was what I wanted. I was afraid of not being reciprocal, but I also wanted everything to be as it was before. Man, I'm a mess."

Troy would be lying if he said that Abed's sudden touch didn't take him by surprise. But he could admit without fear that the feeling of being kissed by him was even better than he imagined. And for an instant, it was just them. There were no cars passing by, there was no 59°F cold, there was nothing else. Just the two of them.

Stoping the kiss, but with his hands on the other's shoulder, Abed broke into a smile. "It seemed like the perfect time for a first kiss. And you're not a mess."

Troy leaned his head on the other's shoulder, hugging him, and proceeded to start crying. It felt nice, especially after saving tears for so long.

"I'm sorry I was an asshole with you, you don't deserve to feel guilty when you didn't do anything wrong. I think I needed an escape from all that anxiety, but in the end, it came out as anger."

Abed ran his hand over the other's back, calming him down. "Okay, you're forgiven. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I liked you back. I thought you were straight for never commenting on other men, so I just moved on."

They parted, still holding hands, and Troy smiled. Both got back in the car, with Troy in the passenger seat. They were calmer, with less tension, everything seemed finally in place. Finally, they were in harmony again.

Finally, it was Troy and Abed. No pretending, no intrigue, just Troy and Abed.


End file.
